1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
A switching regulator having an electric circuit that protects predetermined resistor elements in the electric circuit from damages by leading a short-circuit current to a diode in a bypassing manner when a switching element is brought into a short-circuited condition, is known in earlier developments (refer to, for example, JP-2002-233142A: Document 1).
Furthermore, there is a technology known in earlier developments, in which a fuse is connected in series to predetermined resistor elements in an electric circuit so that the resistor elements and the circuit are protected by the fuse that will melt and blow when an abnormal, large current, such as a short-circuit current, flows in the electric circuit (Refer to JP-2005-49369A: Document 2).
However, in the case of the technology disclosed in Document 1, there was a problem that a trouble that some parts of the electric circuit are damaged may arise unless the short-circuit current is immediately interrupted by a fuse and/or a breaker provided in the circuit even though the short-circuit current is adapted to be bypassed so that it flows through the diode.
In the case of the technology disclosed in Document 2, there was also a problem that a trouble that some parts of the electric circuit are damaged by the short-circuit current if it takes time for the fuse to melt and blow due to its bad fusion characteristics. Furthermore, there was another problem that a small amount of smoke may emit when the fuse melts and blows.